Tags:
Film: Send Help
Year: 2026
Director: Sam Raimi
Writers: Damian Shannon and Mark Swift
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O’Brien and Edyll Ismail
Review:
This was a film that I was intrigued to check out because I’m a fan of Rachel McAdams. It didn’t even click to me that this was directed by Sam Raimi. I feel like I caught part of the trailer and noticed that, but it slipped my mind. My wife, Jaime, had heard of this film and pointed out that Dylan O’Brien also starred in the Maze Runner films. I haven’t seen them, but I did know of their existence. The basic premise was something else that I knew coming in.
Synopsis: two colleagues become stranded on a deserted island as the only two survivors of a plane crash. On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it’s a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.
We start this in an office. Linda Liddle (McAdams) is a homely whiz who works in Strategy and Planning. She has prepared a report for Donovan (Xavier Samuel). He’s been with the company a short time. He’s friends with the son of the boss, who is taking over the company soon. That son is Bradley Preston (O’Brien). The boss promised a promotion for Linda, but we learn that Bradley doesn’t have intentions of honoring it. He does upset her to the point that she’s fighting back tears.
Now something else to include here is that Linda is a massive fan of the television show Survivor. She has multiple books on surviving if she was ever stranded. We also see that going out into nature is one of her hobbies. We know that she’s smart and this is something that an advisor to Bradley points out, Franklin (Dennis Haysbert).
The catalyst event here is the company has an important merger that takes the executives to Thailand. Bradley brings Donovan and Chase (Chris Pang). While on the plane, Linda is trying to solve a hang up that is referred to as Appendix D. Donovan found Linda’s audition tape to be on Survivor and they’re mocking her. Linda sees this and deletes what she was working on. Things change when the steward is in a panic. The seatbelt light comes on. The plane then crashes into the ocean.
Linda survives. She finds Bradley on the beach and gets him out of the sun. Her knowledge of what to do helps her get a shelter, finding food and water that is drinkable. She is thriving where Bradley is struggling. As time goes on, he comes around to the idea that being rescued might take more time. There are mood shifts where he’s rude to her and she cuts him off. Seeing how hard it is out here changes his mind. Not everything is as it seems and Linda might not be as meek as she lets on.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Now my knee jerk reaction in the theater was that this is Castaway meets Drag Me to Hell. The former because we have a plane crash leading to our characters being trapped on a remote island. The difference here is that we have two people, which makes it more like Six Days Seven Nights, but the comedy here is darker in nature. There could be more comparisons. I think that gives a general idea.
This is a character study of the two leads, beginning with Linda. We sympathize with her initially; she is an overworked, overlooked employee who failed to get a promotion before Bradley’s father died. It was promised and that’s not something his son plans to honor. She awkwardly tries to connect with those around her. However, on the island, she surprisingly thrives, building her confidence, making the difficult survival look easy—something Bradley highlights. McAdams excels in showing this growth.
Then the other character is Bradley. He is a jerk from the beginning when we meet him. He is rude to Linda. It feels like he’s in his position due to nepotism. He shows favoritism with Donovan and he’s being gross when interviewing a beautiful woman. Arrogance would be something else to include. When he’s rendered helpless from the plane crash, he needs Linda to take care of him. He tries to show her up and fails. It is from there that he does recognize that he needs her. O’Brien brings what is needed for his role as well.
Both Linda and Bradley harbor secrets and withhold truths. Linda aims to stay on the island for as long as they can, enjoying her control and torture of Bradley, who seeks escape. He initially wants her help but then acts behind her back. Their dynamic—a mix of human isolation and manipulative strategy—is engaging. A surprising late reveal resolves issues that I started to consider the longer this went on.
That should be enough for the story so let’s finish out discussing the acting performances. McAdams and O’Brien are great in their roles. Edyll Ismail is Bradley’s fiancée. She has a limited role but works for what was needed there. I did like seeing Haysbert in his small role. Samuel and Pang work as the cronies to Bradley. I’ll also credit Thaneth Warakulnukroh in his role as this boat captain. The acting here works to push our characters to where they ended up.
All that is left is the filmmaking aspects. Raimi excels at the action sequences, despite the questionable CGI—which was arguably necessary for the plane crash and the scene where Linda hunts a boar. The violence between characters, combined with excellent cinematography, frames the island's beauty and danger. Practical effects, including blood and bodily fluids, were great. The music successfully built tension and atmosphere. My main criticism is the excessive length, as my interest flagged until a late reveal.
In conclusion, this succeeds as a dark survival thriller, leveraging strong performances from McAdams and O’Brien, whose shifting dynamic is the core strength of the film. While the narrative occasionally drags due to its length, the late-game twist provides a satisfying payoff. Raimi’s direction ensures the action is visceral and the island setting is both stunning and menacing, effectively utilizing both practical and visual effects to serve the story's blend of psychological manipulation and brutal survival. It is a compelling character-driven film that explores what happens when corporate ambition meets primal instincts.
My Rating: 7.5 out of 10